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RE: [Retrieved] Re: [RC] horsemanship learning NEVER ends---was CTR Thumbs down - Tracey Smith

Boy did you hit the nail on the head with that one! 
 
 When I started my current mare in CTR last year we battled the first half of the season with sore backs.  Turns out the problem was part poorly fitting saddle pad (a toklat solved that problem) but the BIGGEST part of the problem was ME!   I had my saddle evaluated and it fit fine, so it meant I had some work to do.
 
 I ride heavyweight and thought I was okay in the equitation department as my older mare I'd previously competed was never sore...but horses move differently and I quickly learned it was ME that was responsible for Amira's back soreness.  It took lots of practice at home and several more CTR's to see an improvement, but I finally started to. 
 
 I look at each ride as a "test" to see if I have improved what I have been working on at home...that's part of the challenge for me.  I do the same in endurance....I don't care much about top 10...I just want to improve over our last ride.
 
Tracey
-----Original Message-----
From: rides2far@xxxxxxxx [mailto:rides2far@xxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 11:37 AM
To: carolyn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: rides2far@xxxxxxxx; Tracey Smith; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Retrieved] Re: [RC] horsemanship learning NEVER ends---was CTR Thumbs down

In general, my experience is that the changes that I have made to attempt to be more like a dressage rider have been improvements, but I can't deny the success of those who have other styles  I have noticed that at a ride I can predict which horses will have sore backs at the vet check pretty accurately and I'm not looking at the saddle when I make my guess. I think saddles take the blame for lots of poor equitation.

Angie